The Tenth of May
by iamconcussed
Summary: At age 26, Harry James Potter, the man who defeated You-Know-Who when he was only 17, passed away in St. Mungo's due to unknown causes. Draco is assigned in secret to uncover the mystery of Harry's death, but he soon falls under the spell of the prime murder suspect: Harry's pregnant wife, Ginny.
1. Chapter 1

Daily Prophet-15 February 2006

Harry Potter, savior of the Wizarding world, was rushed to St. Mungo's last night after collapsing in his home...

Daily Prophet-25 February 2006

The Boy Who Lived was released from St. Mungo's yesterday morning after a stay of over a week. Tests were inconclusive and Harry Potter seemed to be feeling himself again. This is not the first time the hero has been released after nothing being found wrong with him...

Daily Prophet-2 May 2006

Sources confirm that late Monday night Harry Potter, 26, returned to the hospital. While the reason for the visit is unknown, our hearts go out to his wife, Ginevra Potter…

The Quibbler-10 May 2006

It is a solemn day for the Wizarding World. At age 26, Harry James Potter, the man who defeated You-Know-Who when he was only 17, has passed away in St. Mungo's due to unknown causes...

Witch Weekly-26 May 2006

Widow of Harry Potter, Ginevra Potter, announced today that she is pregnant with the late hero's child. The two had been married for almost three years before Harry Potter died unexpectedly this month. While the hospital claimed no reason for the death, many theories are circling...

Draco threw the day's paper aside and finished his coffee with a deep sigh. The world seemed to be lost without the Boy Who Lived. Everyday there was some new speculation about how he died and why. No one knew the truth, not even Draco, even with his status as both the largest benefactor of St. Mungo's and the Auror assigned to Harry Potter's death. All Draco knew was that Harry had been in and out of the hospital starting in 2004, which was suspiciously soon after the Gryffindor had married Ginny Weasley. Not that Draco assumed it was anything but a coincidence, of course.

"Son of a bitch," Draco groaned to himself, checking the date of the paper again. It was 26th which meant he had to get dressed up and attend St. Mungo's honoring of Harry Potter. Even worse, he wasn't just going as a member of the hospital's board, but he was working undercover.

After getting in an altercation that ended with another Auror in the healing unit, Draco was suspended from his normal job of capturing Death Eaters and dark wizards. Technically, he was completely suspended from the Auror department, but Kingsley always had some alternate plan. Who would suspect Draco Malfoy researching the death of Harry Potter? Now he had to sneak around and ask lots of people he didn't care for lots of questions that he didn't want the answers to.

Standing and stretching, Draco made his way to his home potions kit that had been brewing something vaguely yellow all morning. He stirred it and, after deeming it complete, poured it into four small phials. "Stupid fucking..." Draco mumbled complaints about his evening itinerary. It included drugging innocent people, something he had tried his hardest to stay away from since the end of the war.

He spent the day copying information from the many files he received from Kingsley and trying to memorize them. He wrote questions he would ask the people of interest and attempted to perfect his discrete memory charms, but found no matter how he did it, his arm made a big movement. Relying on the big crowds to keep people from looking at him, Draco focused more on what people looked like and how they were connected to the deceased. He tested himself while in the shower.

"Jessica Clarence," he said as he shampooed his hair. "Secretary who became a friend of the family." He rinsed his hair and searched for his softening potion. "Jonathan Briggs: Healer." Dumping a bunch of the blue liquid in his hands, he spread it evenly on his head. "Nigel Larson: Auror partner." Draco turned off the water once he was finished and toweled off. He stepped in front of the mirror to inspect his face. "Ginny Weasley: pregnant wife, working as potions master of Downtown London Apothecary."

Draco dressed in a black suit and turned his lip up at his appearance; he was so pale. He really needed to get out in the sun more, but that involved seeing people and he was such a recluse. The act of attending this gathering was enough to make his heart pound, and not in the excited way it did when he was going after a rogue.

After finally working up the courage and stomach to Apparate, Draco left for the honoring. When he arrived, the dinner was just over and people were getting up to retrieve drinks and exchange heart felt stories about the scar-headed god. Draco tried his hardest to think only kind thoughts about the man of the hour, but it was so hard to turn back on 16 years of disdain.

Nigel was the first of his list that Draco spotted, but he couldn't convince himself to cross the room and begin a conversation. Draco met Nigel back in Auror training 6 years prior and immediately hated the short, black haired man. Luckily by the end of training, Nigel was assigned to an administrative position along with Potter, while Draco was added to the international team. Because of this, Draco was often out of the country, and thus often away from the administration.

Draco turned to finally go talk to Nigel when he saw a flash of sleek blonde hair and knew immediately that it was Jessica Clarence. "The secretary," Draco nodded and walked over to her.

He bumped into her and turned quickly, bracing her with his hands. She was wearing an inappropriately short dress that, while black, did not project any sort of respect or modesty for the situation. "Merlin, I'm so sorry," Draco exclaimed, smiling at the young woman. She was only a few years out of school according to her papers. Potter hired her despite her lack of experience and NEWTs. There had to be some reason for that, of course.

"Oh," she smiled in response, staying in his grasps longer than necessary, her body leaning slightly into him. "Don't worry about it." Her long fake lashes batted at him from around her big blue eyes. Her lips puckered slightly and she darted her tongue out to wet them.

"I'm so lost in my own world right now, it's hard to pay attention," Draco told her solemnly, frowning and looking to the ground.

She nodded with a thoughtful smile and placed her hand on his chest. "I understand completely."

Perfect. "Listen, let me get you a drink and we can talk," Draco suggested, hoping he could knock out one suspect before becoming too inebriated himself. These events always made his hair stand on end if he didn't drink enough.

She nodded in response and flipped her sheet of hair over her shoulder. "Red wine," she smiled, taking a seat at the table next to her.

Draco made his way to the bar, his hand in his pocket fiddling with the phials he had filled earlier. They were low-grade Veritasium that allowed a person to become completely comfortable sharing all kinds of information they never would otherwise. Draco thought of them as a way to speed up trust, it was the only way he felt comfortable using them. The potion was easy enough to fight if one really wanted to; it wasn't like Veritasium in that respect. Still, Draco hated resorting to drugging.

"Two red wines," Draco ordered, pulling out one small crystal container and dumping the contents into the left glass. The bartender watched him with a raised eyebrow and Draco realized just how obvious he had been. "Calming tonic for the girl," Draco excused his actions, and walked away. He really wasn't cut out for the undercover work. "Here you are," he said, handing the blonde her drink and joining her at the small table for four. "To Harry."

"To Harry," Jessica repeated, their glasses clinking before she took a sip of her spiked drink. "Mm," she hummed and inspected her wine. "You know, Harry was a bit of a drinker himself. He loved wine, red especially. He said he liked the way it made him feel," she explained, a frown on her red lips.

"Did he ever come to work drunk?" Draco asked, pulling out his notepad and quill. He dropped them in the seat next to him, placing a spell so they would record everything.

Jessica sipped her wine again and shook her head excessively, her hair dancing around her. "Oh Merlin, no! Harry only drank after work. He was very passionate about his career," she commented, a small smirk starting to form on her face.

"Did you go out for drinks with him?" he questioned, a new idea of the man's death coming into his head.

Smiling coyly, she looked around the room as if looking for a specific thing or person. Finally satisfied with her survey she leaned forward and put her mouth next to Draco's ear. "Only every time he went out." She sat back in her seat with a firm smile in place.

So Harry had been cheating. "Were you involved romantically?" Draco asked, looking around himself. With a final glance, he noticed that Nigel had spotted them and was staring intently. The man couldn't leave anything alone.

"I wish," she frowned, sinking in her seat and downing the last of her wine. "Once I kissed him, but he didn't seem interested."

Nigel looked to be excusing himself from his conversation to walk to Draco. Draco knew he only had a minute before he was interrupted. "If he wasn't cheating on his wife why did he go out with you so often?"

"It's probably because he didn't want to be around her," Jessica sighed sadly, her finger running around the lip of her glass slowly.

"Why wouldn't he want to be around his wife?"

"He was scared. Alcohol was all that made him feel better," Jessica explained with a strange expression. She was becoming aware of the topic slowly, the potion already wearing off.

Draco pulled his wand out of his pocket and held it under the table, ready to Obliviate her memory but was unable to complete the charm.

"Draco Malfoy," Nigel drawled, the thick accent making Draco's name sound positively common.

"Nigel," Draco nodded curtly in response, looking sideways at Jessica who would soon be very aware of all that she had told Draco.

"What are you doing here? Surely not paying your respects, as you have none," he chuckled to himself and took a swig of his scotch.

"I'm going to go to the loo, I don't feel well," Jessica excused herself and left the men, tripping slightly as she walked quickly to her destination.

_Shit._

"Heard about Howard's blood loss in Austria yesterday. Pretty big fuck up, wouldn't ya say, Draco?" Nigel's thin mustache moved with his sly smile. He straightened his jacket and raised his eyebrows expectantly at Draco.

"You don't know the circumstances," Draco said flatly. He reached to the seat next to him to pick up his notes and shoved them in his coat pocket discreetly.

"Oh, I get it!" Nigel exclaimed, turning around to point at someone in the crowd. "You're here to impress the ol' boss. You want him to end your suspension."

Draco pursed his lips as he saw Kingsley exchanging words with the man Draco recognized as Arthur Weasley. How did people already know about his suspension? His reputation as the best Auror would be out the window by the end of the next workday. "I'm here to say my goodbyes." Draco stood to leave but was forced to stay in place as Nigel stepped uncomfortably close.

"I've got my eye on you, Malfoy. I know what you're up to and when I get proof I'm going to take you down," he threatened, stepping back as soon as he finished.

"I look forward to it," Draco nodded and immediately left, weaving in and out of the crowd. He needed fresh air and he needed solitude. Pushing past a particularly packed section of the room, Draco felt a hand grasp his for a mere second before letting go. His vision blurred for a moment and a voice echoed in his mind. "Good work." Draco turned as he kept walking and saw Kingsley still talking to Mr. Weasley.

"I hate that," Draco mumbled to himself, shaking the echoing voice from his head. Some of the head Aurors seemed to love to communicate with Legilimency, but it only reminded Draco of the Dark Lord. Suppressing a shiver, Draco continued down a long empty hallway.

He pushed the door to the back balcony roughly and was surprised to see anyone. "Sorry," he said to the woman who was leaning against the wrought iron bars that enclosed the space. "I didn't think anyone would be here, I'll go."

She turned and he immediately realized who she was. "Oh, you can stay. I just came here because the other balcony was filled with people smoking. You're not going to smoke are you?" Ginny asked, smiling weakly. Her eyes were sunken in and outlined in red. She wore a black long sleeved dress that clung to her body and stopped just below her knees. Her hair was down and blowing around her face with each gust of wind. The long red curls contrasted the formality of her dress and made her look even more lost than her eyes suggested.

"No, just looking for some fresh air, myself," he explained, crossing to stand near her.

Studying her was the closest he would get to answers at this time, he thought, so he watched her. She was the primary suspect in Potter's death and she was standing a meter away with her hand on her barely pregnant belly. Her bottom lip was a much brighter red than her top lip; it was from biting it, Draco assumed. The freckles that dusted her nose and the tops of her cheeks stood out against her pale skin and her long spider-like eyelashes made her big glossy eyes look innocent.

"Please," she started, finally tearing her eyes away from the flower covered grounds. "Please stop staring at me," she requested, her brown eyes meeting his.

"Sorry," he excused himself, turning to look at the gardens. "You're very beautiful," he told her. It was a reason for him to stare, but it was also true.

Visibly rolling her eyes, her lip turned up in disgust. "Please don't hit on me either."

Draco shook his head, feeling bad. "No, no, I didn't mean to. You probably find it strange that I'm here," he acknowledged, shifting his weight to lean his back against the railing.

She shrugged like she hadn't thought anything of it. "I assumed you were here for the same reason as everyone else." Ginny rubbed her belly with both hands lightly before returning her grasp to the terrace fence.

"And that reason would be..." he lead her with a raised eyebrow.

"For the cameras," she answered confidently, but a few seconds later her bottom lip quivered.

"I'm not here for the cameras," Draco told her honestly. He was there to find out why Harry had died so young and unexpectedly.

Ginny sniffed and looked at Draco with a soft smile. "I don't know how much interaction at the office you actually had with Harry, but he talked about you at home sometimes."

They did talk when Draco was in the home office. Annoyingly enough for Draco, Harry was usually the first to congratulate him on a successful mission. Harry even insisted on taking Draco out for drinks after he had detained Dolohov, who had killed two Muggle-born children the week prior. Draco didn't know why, but it always seemed like the man was trying to wiggle his way into Draco's life. "We talked a few times, not often."

"Well," Ginny sighed. "Harry really respected and trusted you. You know he was the last signature needed for you to join the international team. According to Harry, the form was missing a supervisor approval, but no one else wanted to sign. Luckily, Harry had been completely initiated into the force as administration the day before, and he happily added you to the team." Ginny looked away when she finished. Her fingers loosened their grip on the bar and she looked calmer.

Draco hadn't known any of that. All those times Harry inserted himself into Draco's business, Draco believed there was an ulterior motive. He thought Harry didn't trust him, turns out he trusted Draco a lot. That was if Ginny was telling the truth. "Wow, I had no idea," was all he could say. He was lost for a moment, confused about the information and where to take it. "I'm so sorry about your loss. Did he know about the baby before he...?" Draco was never like this. He could always finish a sentence no matter how gruesome it was. He once told a woman that a Death Eater had cooked and consumed her husband, and yet there he was not being able to finish much of anything around the redhead.

She smiled slightly but it looked more like a contortion of her lips to keep her from sobbing. "Yes," she breathed. "He was really excited. We were waiting until the three month mark to tell anyone."

"Why?" Draco asked, waiting for the answer he knew was coming.

"Incase of a... miscarriage." She looked away again, but this time she turned her whole body.

This was it. It was a possible clue. "Did you have any reason to believe you might have one?" Like brewing particularly poisonous potions while pregnant.

Her shoulders began to shake and a sob escaped her lips. "I'm sorry," she choked out, embarrassed of her sudden flood of emotions.

_Fuck._ "No, I'm so sorry to pry!" he insisted. He debated about resting a hand on her back, but figured it would be more disconcerting than comforting. "I know how you feel right now."

She turned around suddenly, her red eyes wide and her hair swirling around her. "You know how I feel?" she asked between sniffs.

_Good job_, he thought to himself sarcastically. "Well, with Astoria," he told her and realized he hadn't said her name in months.

A realization swept if Ginny's face and she looked more apologetic than demanding. "I remember... sort of."

Draco sighed, knowing that playing the widower card might even get him more details, but he just wasn't in the mood to talk about the past. _This is work_, he assured himself, _you do whatever you have to for the truth_. "Well, she was pregnant… four years ago, I guess. Merlin," he breathed. "It feels like it was twenty years ago." He pushed himself to continue. Deep inside of him he felt something vibrate, like a warning not to bring up anything that he had avoided talking about for so long. "She was stressed out. Her father was on trial again with new evidence and new charges. It was obvious there was no way he would get off; they just had too much proof and in the audience was a young girl he had made an orphan." _No_, he told himself, _not what comes next_.

Ginny, seemingly understanding his internal battle, placed a small hand atop his larger one that was grasping the metal bar with force. "It's okay," she assured him.

"She and her father had always been close, as her mother had died while she was young. When he was sentenced to Azkaban, she went to the hospital with complaints of pain. They put her on bed rest but she was back in the hospital within a fortnight. We got her the best healers at St. Mungo's, but it wasn't enough. She… she went into labor early and she passed away during... The baby-the baby girl had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and…" he trailed off again. Oh Merlin, he had never had to tell anyone what happened. Everyone who needed to know already knew. _Shit, shit, shit, shit!_ He felt his bottom lip quiver slightly before a tear fell from his eye.

"I'm so sorry," Ginny choked out, tears falling from her own eyes. She had her hand possessively placed around her belly and her brows were pressed together in pain. "I've miscarried twice," she whispered, taking a step closer to him. "And now Harry."

It was such a personal moment, and Draco couldn't help but feel connected to the girl. Just a few hours before she was a stranger to him, and now he looked at her, tears falling from his eyes and hers, and he longed to embrace her. It was probably overstepping the bond, but he reached out for her anyway. As soon as his arms reached around her, he could tell she welcomed the physical contact. "I'm so sorry," he repeated her words in her ear.

They must have looked a sight. Draco Malfoy with his arms around a pregnant Ginny Weasley, both of their eyes and faces wet with tears. Draco could only imagine what Mr. Weasley thought when he came across them on the balcony, Nigel only a pace behind him. The door creaked closed behind the men, alerting Ginny and Draco to their new company. The two backed away from each other, but not fast enough to incriminate them.

"Gin, come inside. Your mother wants to ensure you return home safely," Mr. Weasley told her stiffly. He acknowledged Draco with a small nod of his head.

"Okay, thank you," Ginny smiled in response, wiping her tears away with the palm of her hand. She turned slightly to Draco and met his eyes with such kindness. "Thank you for talking with me. I hope I see you soon," she told him, squeezing his hand slightly before following her father back into the ballroom.

Nigel stayed on the patio, a look of disgust across his face. "What the fuck were you doing out here with your dirty paws on her?" he spat, taking a few steps forward.

Draco sighed and adjusted his jacket, ready to return inside and find the Apparation spot so he could return home. "We were sharing a personal moment, if you must know." _You wanker,_ Draco added in his mind. "I should be going home now."

"If I ever see you near her again, I will fucking kill you," Nigel whispered harshly, his eyes turning to slits and his fists clenched.

"Pretty possessive, aren't you?" Draco mused with a raised eyebrow. "I wonder why that is. I wonder what lengths you would go to protect her. You say you would kill someone. I just hope you never have to resort to that…" Draco told him, his face stone cold. The man's words had just earned him a spot on the top of the list of suspects.

Nigel blanched, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He couldn't even formulate a sentence, let alone look scary anymore. He let Draco push past him easily, too lost in the blond's words to bother with the present.

"…resort to that _again_, that is," Draco added, before disappearing back into the crowded dancehall.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

The Apparation point. The Apparation point. _Where is it?_ Draco's mind demanded as he pushed through the sea of people at the gathering. He needed to get back to his place before Nigel decided to come and find him, or Kingsley used Legilimency again to congratulate him on a fucking awful job of being sly. He finally spotted it and practically jogged to the designated area. Turning too quickly, he crashed into the foyer of his London flat.

He screamed out as a blinding pain radiated through his hip. Had he splinched himself? Falling to the ground with blurred vision, Draco tried to think of what he could have possibly hit as he had returned to his flat. Nothing was kept in the foyer for situations just like this; he was a careless Apparater and he knew that. Regaining his eyesight, Draco looked up to see what looked like a cement birdbath. "What the fuck?" he called out, grasping his hip and standing up. The top of it was covered in an elaborate glass dome that looked like it couldn't be removed. It looked familiar, like something he had seen in Dumbledore's office during his time at Hogwarts. A small slip of paper sat on the top.

'_Maybe this will help. I often found him with his head in this. –KS'_

He couldn't get a break. It was just another thing he had to do for the case. Great, now he had some huge cement thing that he had to deal with. He didn't even know what it was let alone how it could help him with the case. "His head in it?" Draco read from the card with question. _Why would Potter put his head in a birdbath?_ He reached out to trace the intricate design on the glass dome, and pulled his hand back quickly as the glass retracted, revealing a basin filled with what seemed to be water. Concerned with the possibility that it wasn't actually water, Draco dropped Kingsley's note in it and studied how it reacted. The ink from the card lifted some, but that was to be expected. The card looked to be fine, aside from soaking wet. _So Harry sometimes bathed his face in a water filled basin? _

The huge thing could not stay in Draco's flat. He had people who came over, and the eyesore could not remain there. Draco wrapped his hands around it and attempted to pick it up. "Holy fuck," Draco cursed through clenched teeth. It had to weigh five times as much as he did, and even using all of his strength, he couldn't even lift it a millimeter. He pulled his wand out with a smirk, ready to put the thing in a near by coat closet, and waved the piece of wood lazily. Draco's face turned red with anger as the cement stayed in its place. "What the fuck am I supposed to do with Potter's stupid watering trough?" Draco yelled out, kicking the cement stand that refused to move.

The blow seemed to cause the thing to respond. A click echoed through the hall and a rectangle of the column popped out. Draco reached down and pulled it out, revealing three long shelves lined with phials of three different colors: red, black, and blue. Picking up one of the red ones, Draco studied it, removing the stopper and observing the contents. It looked neither liquid nor solid. Pouring it into his hand, it just floated above his skin before flowing away slowly in a swimming motion, and inhabiting in the water. '_I often found him with his head in this_,' the smeared card read beneath the white threads that had settled in the water. Draco looked around before holding his breath and sticking his face in the water.

He drifted gently down to a wooden floor. The surrounding walls were mint green and covered in pictures and paintings. A sob came from someone on the bed in the middle of the room. Draco recognized her immediately as Ginny. The many covers and pillows all surrounded her, allowing only her head to show. She looked different, and sadder than she had been at the event that evening. Her hair was shorter, barely reaching her shoulders, and her fringe was chopped across her forehead in a blunt cut. She shook, her sobs becoming louder.

"Ginny," Draco called cautiously, stepping forward and reaching out for her. He was about to touch her when someone reached her first. Draco jumped back as he watched Harry Potter, as alive as Draco was, sit on the bed next to Ginny.

"Ginny, the healer called me. Are you alright?" Harry demanded thoughtfully, pushing the fringe from her reddened face. He seemed concerned about her, but his tone made him sound more like he was dealing with an important business transaction. It was the most in control Draco had ever seen him.

Her face was covered in tears and snot. Her eyes looked up to meet Harry's and she opened her mouth slowly, "I lost it." Her voice was broken and raspy.

"Ginny," Harry whispered, leaning down to engulf her in a hug.

"I lost it," she repeated, tears welling her eyes as she began to sob uncontrollably. Her hands reached up to cover her face as she shook. "Not it," she corrected with a sniff, "him or her."

Harry stood up and unhooked his maroon Auror's robes and kicked off his dress shoes before getting back into the bed. Pushing the many covers away, he laid beside Ginny and pulled her to his chest, placing kisses on the top of her head. "It's going to be okay, Gin," Harry assured her, holding her tightly.

"Maybe," she choked. "Maybe, I'm not supposed to be a mother," she cried out, her hands gripping his hold on her.

"Shh…" Harry rocked her slowly. "It's going to be okay. You will be a mother, and you'll be amazing," he assured her, his voice calming and deep. While his voice told Ginny to be calm, she could not see his face. His own tears were falling, and his eyebrows were pushed together at an attempt to control his emotions.

Her hands flew down and cradled her stomach, her face distorted in pain. "It hurts so much," she told her husband.

Draco's eyes were wide as he stepped back. His cheeks were wet with tears he didn't know he had created. Searching the room for something that might tell him what was going on, he spotted a calendar that hadn't been changed in a few months. A few years, he noticed upon closer inspection. 2003? He stepped back farther this time, almost running backwards until he hit a wall and felt a drop in his stomach. He fell to the floor, his butt connecting with thick carpet. "What's going on?" he yelled to the two on the bed, but he was no longer in their home. He was back in his foyer, sitting in front of the cement birdbath.

As soon as he caught his breath, he began digging through the many different colored phials. Some had small labels on them such as 'GP 20/3/02' and 'JB 12/9/02.' The phial he had first extracted and dumped in the basin was only labeled as 'X 03.' Frantically looking for clues as to the labeling system, Draco found one other phial labeled with an X. 'X 04' it read, and with what the other threads had shown him, he was worried about what this one held. He dumped it in and tried not to think about anything before dunking his head into the water.

He was transported to a new location that was bright, almost blindingly so. It was on a lake somewhere. The ground was covered in grass and small flowers. To his left he spotted Harry, leaning against a tree trunk and writing in a small black notebook quickly. Ginny walked out of a large, unstable house nearby, and Harry shoved his notebook underneath himself and into his back pocket. "Gin, how are you?" he asked, reaching out for her.

She fell easily into his lap, but she looked unhappy. "I'm having bad pains in my stomach and back," she complained, holding herself tightly. "I'm scared, Harry." She leaned back against him. Draco noticed her hair had grown a lot and she no longer had fringe. "I can't tell Mum, though. I don't want her to know."

"How bad is it? Do you want to go to the Healer?" Harry asked, his eyes worried. "I can take you now." He made to stand up, but Ginny stopped him, her hand gently taking one of his.

"I don't want to leave my family," she told him. She fiddled with the hem of her yellow dress. "Do you think something is wrong with me?" she wondered aloud. "Maybe it's because of…because of Tom."

"Gin," Harry began quietly.

"No," Ginny interrupted quickly. "I'm serious. I think maybe I should talk to a spell damage specialist. Don't you see one?"

Harry looked shocked and his chest began to rise and fall rapidly. "Wha-at?"

"Why are you hiding it? Is something wrong?" she asked, turning around in his lap and then she cried out in pain. Her left hand gripped his thigh tightly while her other wrapped around her stomach. She cried out again, her eyes squeezed shut.

Harry's eyes widened and he moved her gently in his arms, picking her up easily. "We're going now," he said, his voice stern and controlling. His hand underneath her bum wiggled slightly, trying to get a better hold on her legs and then he froze.

"What?" Ginny questioned breathily, confused at his sudden stopping.

Then Draco noticed the red patch soaked through the bottom of her dress. Harry had just felt the blood and quickly realized how serious his wife's pain was. He turned with her in his arms and a crack echoed loudly. Draco's hands went up to protect his ears just as the world around him began to pull and morph, spinning around him chaotically. He felt he would be sick if he didn't leave, but he didn't know how to leave. Feeling as if he would pass out, Draco leaned backwards and fell a long way down. _Where was the ground_, he wondered, and he opened his eyes to see everything had stopped spinning. Once again he had returned to his foyer.

Draco rushed into his home office and grabbed a handful of parchment and a spelled-refilling quill. He sat back down in front of Kingsley's gift, and began to take notes. '_X=miscarriage,_' he jotted down. '_One in 2003 and one in 2004. HP hid visits to Spell Damage Healer._' He pulled out a new phial, another red one. The label was even more vague than others, which drew Draco to it. It only read 'proof.' Draco stood quickly, leaving his parchment on the floor, and dumped the threads into the water and dunked his own head in.

With all his practice, Draco landed gracefully this time, only slightly tripping as his feet hit the tiled ground. He was in a Healing room in St. Mungo's, and given the deep blue walls, he was in a Spell Damage unit. A calendar on the wall read July 2004. Draco watched Harry as he lay on a bed against the wall. "Hello?" Draco asked, still unsure about what was going on. Harry sat up on the examination table, his eyes staring through Draco. Then the door opened and a Healer came in.

"Sorry, that took longer than I thought," the Healer excused himself, closing the door behind him. His cloak was embroidered with 'L. Jenson.' "I made sure your name's not on the record for anything but visiting."

"Thanks," Harry smiled. He fixed his glasses, which had been slightly askew. "What do you reckon?"

Jenson looked over his notes thoughtfully and sighed. "Well, I checked upstairs and your wife is fine. I just…we can't ignore all the coincidences. I don't know exactly what to make of it, but if you're feeling better…" the man trailed off, clearly still unsure of his own thoughts. "I mean there are no traces of anything in your blood. No poisons, no residual charms that I can see. It has to be something very carefully thought out or something that was a complete accident."

Harry looked concerned. "An accident could be this covered up?" Harry questioned with a forced laugh. "I'm sorry, but I am confused about why I keep getting so sick and you can't find anything wrong with me."

Jenson closed his file and set it down on the counter next to him. "Mr. Potter, I can see how this is disconcerting, but I think we both know there are only two possible problems, and only one of them is plausible."

"So it is Ginny?" Harry asked, his face straight and his voice no longer angry. "She's making me sick?"

Jenson nodded solemnly.

Draco blinked and he was home. He remained frozen, bent over the water basin with his face dripping. His breath was shallow as he tried to figure out whether or not he had just watched a confirmation that Ginny was Harry's killer. But why would she kill him?

The grandfather clock next to him rang out alerting him it was midnight. "One more," Draco said, almost promising the clock that he would go to bed soon. "A black one," he said, reaching into the cabinet and procuring a random phial that had nothing but the date on it. "It's from this year," Draco told the clock. Holding his breath again, Draco couldn't help but think that he had to learn how to extract his visions or memories or whatever these were.

Harry was hunched over his desk at home. He was once again writing in his black journal and his pace was just as frantic as it had been when he was outside with Ginny.

"Harry," Ginny called, breaking the silence. She was in another room, but could be seen through the open door. "Do you want to go to bed?"

"Just a second," Harry answered, huddling over his writing even more. He was hiding something from her, obviously.

"You think she's poisoning you," Draco said to the oblivious Harry.

"Harry," Ginny called, this time from the doorway. She was wearing a small, green dressing gown that was tied tightly around her waist and stopped before her knees.

Harry jumped in surprise and closed his notebook shut quickly. It illuminated before returning to normal. He had some sort of privacy spell on it to keep Ginny from seeing it, Draco assumed. "Ginny," Harry breathed, turning around in his chair. "I'll come in a second."

Ginny pouted and pulled the clip from her hair, her waves tumbling down. "I want you to come now," she purred.

"I just," Harry started, rubbing his eyes and slouching in his seat. "I just have a lot of work to do, Gin."

Cocking her head to the side, Ginny sighed over-dramatically. "I guess I'll have to go alone," she hummed, shaking a bare shoulder free from her robe.

"Gin," Harry warned her.

"Yes?" she asked innocently, her hands going to the tie around her waist and slowly undoing it.

"Don't."

"Don't what?" she asked, the tie falling to the ground and shortly after the whole robe went with it.

Draco gulped. This was not a memory for everyone to view. This was a memory just for Harry. This was… this was naked Ginny Weasley standing in front of him. She had absolutely no clothing on and Draco couldn't look away.

"Ginevra," Harry scolded, but a smile was slowly taking over his face.

She bit her lip and then smiled. "Mr. Potter," she answered, walking towards him, her hips swaying as she walked. She pushed him back in his seat and straddled him. "You're always working," she frowned, removing his glasses and setting them on the desk behind him. Ginny leaned forward, almost kissing him before backing away and pressing her lips against his neck. "Work, work, work," she mumbled against his skin. Her hands left their place on his shoulders and began to undo his belt.

"Gin," Harry breathed out. Draco supposed Harry had meant to be warning her to stop, but Ginny's hand had just unzipped his pants and all thought had probably left him.

Leave now, Draco's brain screamed at him, but he couldn't help but stare at the slight movement of Ginny's hips and bum. His own breath was shallow as he watched. Each hum and mew that escaped the redhead's mouth echoed in his ears.

All pleasure he was getting from the scene was gone as soon as Ginny had exposed more of Harry than Draco had ever wanted to see. The blond practically jumped out of the memory.

"Oh, Merlin," Draco groaned. His face was distorted with disgust as a shiver radiated through his body. Nothing good had come from watching that one. He picked up his parchment and took notes. '_Harry's secret black journal. Black phials contain personal memories. Spell Damage Healer: Jenson—Admitted sickness was caused by GP._'

The clock chimed again. It was 12:23, an odd time for the clock to be making noise, but Draco knew why. "I'm going to bed!" he yelled at it. He looked back down at the open phials standing along the edge of the basin and watched as all of the threads returned to their correct containers. "I have got to get one of these," Draco said, putting the phials back in the shelves below.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hello," Draco smiled at the woman sitting at the front desk of St. Mungo's. "I was wondering where Healer Jenson's office is."

The woman stared back at him with a blank face. She dug through some papers, her thin white hair not moving no matter how much her body did, and then looked back up at Draco. "Do you have an appointment?" she asked, a short bit of parchment in her hand.

Giving her a charming smile, he sighed. "I forgot to make it official, but he and I had talked about seeing each other today. I'm terribly forgetful, due to the… you know… spell damage," he whispered, covering his mouth from nearby patients.

The woman looked just as bored as ever, with her dark red lips pursed. "I'm sorry, but Healer Jenson cannot see anyone without an appointment, no matter how forgetful the person is."

Draco huffed and dug in his pocket. "I need to see him now," Draco demanded quietly, his smile gone. He held up his Auror badge and waited for her to immediately allow him to pass the guards.

"Do you have a signed G-57 document?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

The woman was impenetrable. Of course he didn't have a signed G-57 document; he was suspended. "Don't make me curse you," Draco said without thinking.

"Are you threatening me, sir?" she snapped, her blue eyes wide. She opened her mouth to call for the guards but before she could make a sound her face went slack. Her eyes closed partially and her mouth shut.

Draco leaned over the desk and looked at the paper that had been in her hand. He read the first name he could see and memorized it. Finally, he was able to use his memory charm.

The secretary began to come to and looked up at him with as much disdain as she had previously. "Welcome to St. Mungo's, how can I help you?"

"Ah, yes, my name is Jeffrey Banks and I have an appointment with Healer Jenson. Could you direct me to his office?" Draco asked, his charming smile returning.

She looked down at the papers, preparing to dig through them when she realized the right paper was on top. "Banks, hmm," she nodded, tracing his name with her long red fingernail. "Jenson is on the twenty-sixth floor," she told him, pointing downwards.

"Thanks," Draco replied and walked to the lifts. He hated the underground levels. He always felt everything would collapse in on itself. Stepping inside the lift was an ordeal for him, and he felt his heart begin to race before it even started moving. The box jerked suddenly and Draco grabbed his chest.

"Dammit," he cursed, feeling embarrassed. It was one of the older lifts, he noticed. The colors were bleak and the woman's voice gave minimal information. She merely noted the number of each floor.

"Twenty-fifth floor," she called out.

Draco pulled the cord to stop the machine quickly, and rushed out of the small box. "Oh, thank, Merlin," he praised, looking around for a sign noting which way Jenson's office was. Things looked to be alphabetical, so Draco began to head down the East hall. If he hadn't been coming down from an anxiety attack, he probably would have noticed faster that he was not only not on the Spell Damage floor, but he was heading towards a dead end.

"Sir, can I help you?" a man in scrubs asked Draco. The man's black eyes were just as unfriendly as the secretary's upstairs and Draco was beginning to understand why everyone hated the hospital so much.

"Just heading to my appointment," Draco answered casually, his hands in his pockets.

"Sir, you're appointment?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. He turned slightly and pointed to a picture of a baby and a couple that was hanging on the wall. "This is the maternity ward."

Draco fought back the blush and was about to admit his mistake when his ears perked up. From down the hall he heard the distinct accent of Nigel Larson, Harry Potter's ex-Auror partner. "Oh, yes, I know. I'm meeting a friend, er a woman, my woman, erm girlfriend," Draco nodded, walking away from the bewildered Healer's attendant.

Nigel's voice was somewhat muffled, but he sounded angry. He was clearly yelling; it was the only way his voice could carry so well. Draco stopped outside of the door where the voice was coming from, and listened.

"Just answer me, Ginevra. Why did you lie to Kingsley? The Aurors are just trying to help. They know people don't just die for no reason," Nigel yelled.

Draco couldn't hear the girl's response, only muffled crying. That bastard was in there interrogating her without any sort of permission from the department. Draco debated about contacting Kingsley, but it would take too long. He couldn't tell if he was angrier that Nigel was doing Draco's assigned duty or that he was making Ginny cry while doing it.

"You think you can get out of it, do you? Well let me tell you something, you little bitch, we had a deal…"

Draco pushed the door open, his nostrils flared and his jaw set. He surveyed the room. Ginny was sitting in a chair, her hands near her face ready to wipe away new tears. Nigel was standing only a meter away from her with his hand on his hip and his wand out.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Draco snapped, putting his hand on his own wand that was strapped to his side. "Are you alright?" he asked Ginny after Nigel remained silent.

She nodded her head slowly and looked less frightened than when he had first come in. She was still shaking slightly, and her purse was pressed against her belly in protection. Her eyes remained on Nigel.

"I doubt Kingsley approved you to accost a pregnant woman in a hospital room," Draco said to Nigel. "Put your damn wand away. What did you think she was going to do to you anyway? There's no reason to have it out."

"What are you even doing here?" Nigel growled, putting his wand back in its holster but not taking his plump hand off of it.

"I was looking for a friend when I heard your ungodly voice echoing down the hall." Draco weighed his options and decided to use his least favorite tactic. "Get out of here before I call someone from administration," Draco ordered with a sneer.

"You're no safer with him, love," Nigel jeered at Ginny, his upper lip curled in a sick smile.

"Get out," Draco yelled, the anger in his voice shocking even him. He waited to turn to Ginny until Nigel had Apparated away. "Are you really okay? Do you need me to call an attendant or Healer?"

Ginny smiled through her tears and shook her head again, her hair dancing around her and reminding Draco of the memories he had watched. "He just scared me," she said with a shaky breath. "He came with me because I don't really like coming to the hospital. But as soon as my appointment was over, he shoved me in here." She stood shakily and inspected her belly through her dress before looking up at the blond. "Thank you," she smiled weakly.

"Of course," Draco answered quickly, looking over her to insure she had no injuries. "What was he yelling at you about?"

She gulped and frowned once more. "He was accusing me of hurting Harry." After saying his name, new tears ran down her cheeks. "I just don't understand. Kingsley said the case was shut. He said they knew it was spell damage, so why is Nigel investigating?" she questioned, her tone pleading for answers.

Nigel was on his own investigation that was unapproved by Kingsley, that much was true. But unfortunately for Ginny, the case was nowhere near shut, and she was still the prime suspect. "I don't know what's going on," Draco sighed, leaning against the wall. "I'm suspended."

Ginny nodded and looked up at him with her big brown eyes. "Right," she said and then laughed. "If I heard right from Ron, it was for something that Harry would have commended you on. He loves a rule breaker." She thought about it for a second, eyes drifting off to settle on the wall in front of her.

All Ginny's long and loving thoughts about Harry made Draco think there was a chance she hadn't harmed the man. However, if she had killed him she would have to be an amazing actress, and then any sort of obvious feelings for him could be easily faked. While watching her beautiful features, Draco had to continue to remind himself that Healer Jenson confirmed that she was the reason Harry had been sick. "Do you have a way home?" Draco asked, breaking the silence comfortably. "I could walk you out if you need me to."

A grimace passed over her soft features before she answered. "Nigel was my way home. I told you before about my… previous pregnancy problems, well my Healer has me on strict transportation rules. I can't Apparate, use Floo Powder, or use a Portkey. Nigel flew me over on a broom. I'm not even supposed to be on one alone." She sighed and remained silent for a moment before standing up. "I'll just owl one of my brothers and they can come get me," she decided, gathering her things.

Draco held the door open for her and followed her to the lifts. They were silent as neither of them had any idea what to say. He supposed Ginny was still shook up, and he was, well he was staring at her bum as she walked. Damn the stupid memories. He had previously just looked at her like he looked at all murder suspects. Quickly, his thoughts flew away from him as he stepped back in the grey box. "Fuck," he whispered quietly.

"Are you frightened by the lift?" Ginny asked with a poorly hidden smile.

"Maybe," Draco answered, holding on to the bar behind him tightly. "How do we really know these things are safe?"

She laughed and reached out for his shoulder, encouraging him to look at her. "If you're so scared of lifts, how do you get around the ministry?"

"I use the stairs, okay? I don't know why this place doesn't have stairs," he wondered, unable to ignore the heat of her hand on his shoulder.

"No way!" she yelled. "There is no way you use the stairs to get to the Auror department. It's on the nineteenth floor!"

"Look, it may take me an extra fifteen minutes to get there, but I get there intact," Draco defended himself. "Besides, I don't need to pay for any sort of gym membership because I walk thirty eight flights of stairs everyday."

"You're funny," she said, taking her hand off of him as the doors opened on the main floor.

Draco's Auror instincts kicked in when they were opened up to commotion and flashes of light. The hall was filled with reporters and photographers taking picture after picture. He pulled up his hood, and wrapped his arms around Ginny, pulling her away from the people.

"Mrs. Potter! Mrs. Potter! How's Harry's baby?"

"Is it a boy?"

"Will you name Harry's baby after him?"

How did so many reporters get into St. Mungo's? They were supposed to protect their patients. "Walk this way," Draco whispered into Ginny's ear. "There's a back exit that's just for Aurors." The two continued through the hall, the guards seemingly able to keep the reporters in the entrance hall. Through the final door before the exit, they were alone. "I'm sorry."

"No, I've been dealing with it. It's just annoying. You think they would want to give me proper time to… be alone," she answered, shaking her head slowly.

Proper time to grieve was probably what she meant. Her husband had been dead for twenty days and they were already accosting her. "They're animals," Draco shrugged.

"I suppose I should figure out what brother I'm getting to come," she sighed. "Ron is working, but he's the only one who could be pulled away. Do you know what he's doing right now?"

"I haven't been in the office for a few days now," Draco told her. She looked so stressed out and upset. "I can take you home," he offered, hoping he could get more character evidence… or something like that.

She fiddled with the hem of her dress, not looking up at him. "I wouldn't bother you. Besides, it's such an ordeal to fly," she shrugged. "But thank you."

"We don't have to fly," Draco corrected her.

"Well, I do," she said, finally looking back up at him. "I can't do any sort of magical transportation but flying."

"Then we won't use magical transportation," Draco said matter-of-factly. "Bibsy," he called.

An elf appeared suddenly. She was wearing what could only be described as an eccentric outfit: a blue cable knit jumper with buttons pinned all over it and a big pink bow on her head. "Hello Master Draco," she said excitedly. "Bibsy was in the garden this morning and noticed that the flowers are doing great, Master Draco should come by to see them soon; although Master rarely visits Bibsy. Bibsy thinks that by next month the whole place will smell like flowers. Isn't that exciting?"

"Very exciting. Thank you for checking that," Draco smiled. "Bibsy, this is Ginny." He gestured to the redhead next to him, who seemed surprised at the elf's blabbering.

"Oh, hello Miss. Bibsy is happy to meet you," Bibsy cheered, taking Ginny's hand in hers. "You're very pretty. Do you like flowers?"

"Oh," Ginny said simply, still in shock. "Thank you. Erm, I do like flowers."

"You should come to the Manor and see my garden," Bibsy insisted.

"Bibs," Draco started, pulling her attention back to him. "Do you think you could do me a huge favor and get my Jag and bring it just out there?" he asked, pointing out the window to the blacktop just outside.

"Of course, Master Draco," she nodded and curtseyed, Disapparating immediately.

"Your elf is very vocal," Ginny commented, still staring at where Bibsy had just been.

"Well, she works for money, so we let her do what she pleases. She really enjoys the garden and cooking Thai food. Oh and don't get her started about fashion, she'll talk for hours. She's really sweet," Draco explained, smiling.

"That's cute," she said simply, thinking for a moment before looking at Draco once more. "What's a Jag?" Ginny asked, but before she could say more a flash of light appeared outside and Bibsy waved at them through the window.

"Come on," Draco encouraged, placing his hand on the small of her back and guiding her outside. "This, Ginny, was my birthday present two years ago from Blaise Zabini. It's a Muggle car."

Ginny's eyes were wide as she looked at the silver vehicle. "Wow," she exclaimed.

"It's beautiful, huh?"

She looked back and him and shook her head with a smirk. "No, just… Wow, Draco Malfoy driving around in a Muggle car, paying his house elf, and offering me a ride. I think a lot of our ancestors would be turning over in their graves if they knew."

Draco opened the car door for her and rolled his eyes. "I think our ancestors have rolled around enough. Since when was it fun to be predictable?"

Ginny studied him for a second before sitting down in the car. "Never, I suppose."

He closed her door and walked to the other side, thanking Bibsy. "I'll come by the Manor soon, I promise," he said before getting into the car himself. Bibsy Disapparated a second later.

"She's really sweet. Do you not live in the Manor anymore?" Ginny asked. Her hands flew out to stabilize herself as the car's engine roared. "I've never been in a car before." She looked around crazily, possibly regretting the whole situation.

"It's okay," he assured her, leaning over and reaching for her seat belt. He pulled it across her and did it up, smiling at her once he had finished. "It protects you. I'll go slowly." He backed up and began to pull out, glancing at Ginny's white knuckles gripping the edge of her seat. "Really, it's going to be fine."

The two were silent all the way to the main road, which was empty. "I assume you're living with your parents right now?" he asked, breaking the heavy silence.

She nodded, turning to him slightly and smiling. "You're pretty good at this," she said, looking out the window. Her shoulders seemed less tense and her grip on the seat had loosened.

"Thanks, I took a lot of lessons my first year," he told her. "Do you want me to put the top down?"

"I don't know what that means."

He opted to show rather than to explain. He tried to look over at her as often as he could while the top retracted, opening them up to the outside. "It's a beautiful day," he said, watching her hair twirl around her.

"Wow," she gasped, looking around. "It's sort of like flying." Her eyes were filled with wonder as she looked at the trees and clouds above and around them. She sighed and rested her head back, closing her eyes and absorbing the sun.

_She's beautiful_, Draco thought to himself, and immediately cursed his mind. "Ottery St. Catchpole?" he asked, hoping to break her out of her basking beauty. "In Devon?"

"Yes," she smiled at him. "I really would rather be at my own place, but it's too much right now. But my family…" she trailed off shaking her head. "They're just there all the time. Everywhere I go in the house, someone is there. It's awful."

"Well, this ride will take awhile," he warned her with a smile. Hopefully he could get some good work information from her. It was trust that he needed. He needed a non-potions version of Veritiserum. He needed her to look at him like a confidant, like a friend, like the person to go to when she needed advice. He needed her to want to talk to him, want to share with him, and ultimately just want to be around him.

"How long will it take?" she asked, looking at him with a slight smirk. "Could you make it take a whole day?"

He chuckled and looked back at her. "Probably about three hours," he answered.

Ginny nodded thoughtfully and turned her head to stare at the passing greenery again. One of her hands rested on her belly. "I suppose three hours will be long enough," she sighed, jokingly.

"I'm sure you'll be well sick of me by then," Draco chuckled. The fact that she didn't want to be around her family aroused his suspicion. The Weasleys had always been a very family-oriented bunch. Wouldn't that bond just grow stronger with something like the loss of a loved one?

Ginny tilted back in her seat, facing him a bit more. "If you drive a Muggle car, what else do I not know about you?" she asked, tucking some hair behind her ear. It was a useless motion, as the wind blew it out only a second later.

She looked like some sort of goddess, he thought. With her hair dancing and light shining from all around her like a halo, she resembled a Pagan queen. "I suppose you don't know most things about me."

"It's true. Tell me about you. It's a long trip," she grinned.

Draco sighed and nodded. "Where to start? Well, I'm an Auror."

"What?" Ginny snapped, her face shocked. Soon a smile broke out and she laughed. "Stuff I don't know, Draco." She looked off for a second after calling him by his first name.

"Alright, alright, stuff you don't know. I…I don't like going out really, and I don't like talking to people. I love to travel, but I only feel comfortable if I'm alone. I've never liked having to have a partner. It's stupid really. Not all of us need partners, but everyone is assigned one, no matter what. I'd be happier doing everything alone," he admitted. Draco couldn't help but be surprised by all he said. This certainly wasn't how interrogations were supposed to go. He was supposed to be finding out information about her, not telling her all of his secrets.

Ginny remained pensive for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. "I'm a bit of a loner myself," she sighed. "I used to be so energetic and excited about everything and everyone, but I slowly found myself wanting to be alone more and more. I felt so rejected after my failed attempts at becoming a mother, and Harry kept getting sick and telling me nothing about it. I just felt really isolated a lot of the time, so I suppose I just embraced it. Now my family is just annoyed with me." She didn't look teary eyed this time, she looked content with expressing her feelings.

"I think it's the same sort of thing with me. I mean, I was never energetic," he chuckled, meeting her eyes for a moment, "but I did enjoy going out with my mates. When you lose someone, no matter whom it is, child or spouse, you lose part of you. There's only so much you can take before you completely lose yourself."

"That's how I feel: lost and confused," she told him, looking down at her lap.

"You're not lost though," he assured her. "You have your family, even if they are annoying you, and you have your baby."

She studied him, her eyes boring into the side of his head. "My baby," she repeated quietly. "You said my baby."

He looked at her, his brow furrowed. "It is your baby, Ginny." What was she on about?

"No, I know, it's just people… never mind," she shook her head, smiling at him. "So you think it'll get better?"

"I'm sure you'll find new people to connect with and you'll find yourself once more. I have to warn you though, you may be a different person," he said, with a sigh. He certainly felt like a different person. Losing someone so close really did change a man.

"Have you connected with new people?" her voice seemed hopeful.

Draco debated his answer for a moment before glancing at the redhead. It was now or never. "I think I'm in the process of connecting with new people."


	4. Chapter 4

Draco pulled up to the rickety, patchwork house that was the Burrow. He put his car in park and looked over at Ginny, who had fallen asleep only twenty minutes after asking him millions of questions. He watched her sleep and enjoyed how peaceful she looked. He wondered if he too looked that calm while he was sleeping. "Ginny," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder, hoping to rouse her from her sleep.

Her eyes opened slowly and a blush spread across her cheeks. "Oh, wow," she whispered, sitting up in the seat. "Sorry," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"No, don't worry about it. You looked like you could use it," he said with a shrug and a warm smile. It was true. The speed at which the sleep had overcome her was astounding. He assumed she was not on any sort of normal sleeping schedule, which couldn't be healthy for the baby.

"I can't even stay awake for three hours!" she shook her head, gathering her bag from the floor of the car. She tried to tame her hair to no avail. Although it was neater than it would have been if Draco hadn't put up the top when she fell asleep. "I think this is the most refreshed I've felt after waking up in weeks. I've been taking dreamless sleeping draught every night and when I wake up I'm groggy and confused." She sighed and looked at her lap for a moment before meeting his eyes and smiling. "In fact, I think this is the first time I've slept without a potion in three weeks. So, thank you for that and the ride." She leaned forward to shake his hand, but seemed to regret her movement. "Erm, well, I suppose I'll see you soon. Maybe we can—"

"Ginevra Molly Weasley Potter," a voice shrieked from the steps of the red house in front of them. "Get out of that contraption this instant! What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing? We were expecting you over an hour ago!" Mrs. Weasley yelled as she was jumping down the steps and bustling over to the car. She pulled at the handle to Ginny's door a few times and let out a huff when it wouldn't budge.

Draco hit the button to unlock the doors and smiled up at the older woman. "Hello, Mrs. Weasley. I was just—"

"Don't you start!" she snapped, pulling at her daughter's arm roughly after opening the door. "I don't want to hear anything come out of your mouth. As for you, young lady," she started, finally removing Ginny from the car. "You can't just go about doing what ever you like. You aren't seventeen. You're responsible for yourself and you're responsible for Harry's baby." Mrs. Weasley laid a hand against her daughter's belly and shook her head in disappointment. "Go inside!"

Ginny hesitated, looking from her mother to Draco before she turned to the blond in the car and smiled stiffly. "I'll owl you," she promised quietly before backing up.

"No, you will not!" Mrs. Weasley barked, shoving her daughter's back so she would begin her walk to the house. Once Ginny was safely inside, Mrs. Weasley rounded on Draco. "You disgust me. This family is trying to find it's way back together after a tragedy and you have the gall to step in. Stay away from my daughter."

Draco clenched his jaw, keeping himself from wanting to say more than he should. "I was merely taking her home after her ride abandoned her at St. Mungo's," Draco explained in the nicest voice he could muster. "I didn't want to leave her there if I had a way to help her get home."

Mrs. Weasley shook her head and her upper lip curled in disgust. "I don't want you close enough to know if she needs anything. You stay the hell away from my daughter and that baby. Do you understand?"

Draco stared at her and quietly summoned the car door shut, before backing up and pulling out. He had planned on having Bibsy Apparate the car home from the Burrow, but a drive would probably do him well. There were a lot of things on his mind and many things that shouldn't be. He wanted to see Ginny again, and not just for the case. In fact, he had forgotten all about the case for most of the ride. He had nothing to go off of and no questions answered. He supposed he believed in his heart that it was impossible for Ginny to have killed Harry, but in his mind, he couldn't ignore all of the evidence that was piled up at his house.

However, he couldn't forget Nigel in all of this; Nigel, the Auror partner, the chivalrous administration member who had offered to tote Ginny Potter to her Healer's visit. What was this deal the two of them had made and why did he think Ginny had broken it? She lied to the Aurors, he claimed. Draco made a mental note to read the statements once again. Of course, Draco remembered, Aurors signed away their rights when they took their positions. He knew that if anyone suspected Nigel of knowing anything about Harry's death, which someone had, Nigel would have been asked questions under the influence of Grade A Veritiserum. So if anything had been suspicious, the Aurors questioning him would have already noticed and alerted Kingsley weeks ago.

There were no absolutes in Draco's mind. Even with all the reasons he felt to not believe Ginny was capable of murder, few things she said did stir up skepticism in him. While she was clearly sad, anyone who had spent any time with her could see that, she also seemed to be feeling something else. It was hard for Draco to pin point it, but if he had to use a word, he supposed guilt was the best match. Something about her longing stares and her stories showed she felt guilty. _People can feel guilty for a number of reasons_, he told himself.

Deep, deep in his gut he knew there was a chance she did it. Kingsley put her on the list for a reason, and he hadn't even watched the memories Draco had. Then the reality of everything hit him. It was Draco's choice if the case was taken in front of the Wizengamot. It was his choice who would be sitting on trial. He imagined Ginny in the grey robes of the prison sitting on the wooden bench, a hollow look in her eyes.

"Bibsy!" Draco yelled, pulling over onto the shoulder.

"Master Draco," Bibsy greeted, appearing in the passenger's seat in the car. "Are you wishing to come to the Manor?"

"No, not now, sorry. Could you take the car back to the garage? I need to clear my mind and a drive is not the answer."

"As you wish, sir," she smiled. She watched him get out of the car with her huge green eyes. Her head nodded to him before both she and the car disappeared.

Draco sighed and Apparated back to his flat. After running into Harry Potter's cement memory bath and cursing for a few moments, Draco entered his bedroom and collapsed on his bed. He felt more mentally tired than he had in years. Hoping a nap could cure his hazy brain, Draco closed his eyes to fall asleep. After what felt like only a minute of rest, a knock came at his bedroom door.

_That's strange_, Draco thought. He didn't remember closing his door. "Come in," he called, propping himself up on his forearms.

The door opened slowly and Ginny came in. "Draco," she breathed, her eyes staring into him. She was still wearing her knee length dress from earlier, but her hair was in perfect condition. Gone were the knots from the car ride, her loose curls fell all around her shoulders, reaching halfway down her chest.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her, his voice wavering.

"I just couldn't be away any longer. My family is awful, but you… you're just what I need," she told him, walking towards his bed.

"But…but I have work to do," he explained, hoping she would turn around and go. Her skin was practically glowing.

"You're always working," she laughed, sitting on the edge of his bed.

Draco sat up, not realizing how close to her he would be. Their faces were mere centimeters away from each other. She smelled of flowers and vanilla. He couldn't help but count the freckles on her cheeks and nose. "We barely know each other," he whispered, meeting her eyes.

"But you said yourself, we're in the process of connecting with new people. I need to connect with new people," she answered, inching closer to him, her eyes fluttering shut.

"But… I should really get back to work," Draco began before closing the gap between them. Her lips were softer than he had imagined, and her hair was silkier than it looked.

She pulled away, a small smile on her lips. Grabbing the hem of her dress, she pulled it up and over her head. "Work, work, work…" she shook her head, her curls dancing.

Draco's eyes widened, and his jaw went slack. He drank in her appearance, from her round hips to her flat stomach and up to her chest. "I…" he began, but he had nothing to say. He couldn't speak.

Ginny smirked at his reaction and bit her lip. "Mr. Malfoy," she giggled, pushing him back onto the bed and crawling on top of him. She began unbuttoning his shirt, placing kisses on his bare chest as she went. She had complete control over him, her touch lighting a fire on his skin.

All he could do was watch her and moan. He wanted to be in charge. As much as he was enjoying her hands on him, he needed to be the one touching her. Moving quickly, he rolled them over and stared at her for a moment, taking in her appearance beneath him.

Her hair was fanned out of his pillow and her lips were puckered. She ran her hands over herself, leaving a trail of red on top of her skin.

Draco leaned back, his eyebrows pushed together deeply. "Wha…" he gasped. It was as if she had dunked her palms in red paint, the liquid showing everywhere her hands touched. She wasn't injured though, he thought as he watched her continue to run her hands over herself and the sheets. She gripped his coverlet, marking it with the red paint. Draco grabbed her hands, turning them to look at the palms to make sure she wasn't injured. Her skin was intact, her hands were just stained red.

"What?" she asked, her tongue darting out to wet her lips.

Then Draco heard the ringing of his floo. He turned to look, not letting go of Ginny's hands, but he saw nothing. The ringing continued, but as far as Draco could tell, no one was on the other side of the floo.

"Hello?" a voice called.

Draco's eyes opened suddenly, his breath ragged. He looked around for Ginny, but she was gone. There was no red paint on his sheets or his hands. It was like she had never been there at all.

"Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley's voice called impatiently.

Draco hopped out of bed and kneeled on the hearth in front of his floo. He accepted the call and smiled at his boss. "Sorry, I was a bit out of it."

"I'll say. I was calling for five minutes before I decided I would ring. I hate the sound of that damn bell though," he shook his head and eyed Draco. "Mind if I come over for a quick chat about work?"

"Of course not," Draco insisted, standing up and readying himself for his boss's entry. He had to clear his mind before Kingsley came. The man was a gifted Legilimens and Draco had just had an extremely inappropriate dream about a murder suspect.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys are still enjoying the story. I'm working through all of my stories in order but I'm extremely busy, so I'll probably only be updating on weekends from now on. (Liars may be updated more frequently because it is a completed story that I am just tweaking as I go). Thank you!


End file.
